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Voltage Dependent Carrier Collection in CdTe Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

D.L. Bätzner ,
Guido Agostinelli ,
A. Romeo ,
H. Zogg  and
A.N. Tiwari
D.L. Bätzner
Affiliation:
Thin Films Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Technopark, ETH-Building, Technoparkstr.1, CH-8005 Zurich Tel: +41-1-4451472, Fax: +41-1-4451499 E-mail: baetzner@phys.ethz.ch
Guido Agostinelli
Affiliation:
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 21020 Ispra (VA), ITALY
A. Romeo
Affiliation:
Thin Films Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Technopark, ETH-Building, Technoparkstr.1, CH-8005 Zurich Tel: +41-1-4451472, Fax: +41-1-4451499 E-mail: baetzner@phys.ethz.ch
H. Zogg
Affiliation:
Thin Films Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Technopark, ETH-Building, Technoparkstr.1, CH-8005 Zurich Tel: +41-1-4451472, Fax: +41-1-4451499 E-mail: baetzner@phys.ethz.ch
A.N. Tiwari
Affiliation:
Thin Films Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Technopark, ETH-Building, Technoparkstr.1, CH-8005 Zurich Tel: +41-1-4451472, Fax: +41-1-4451499 E-mail: baetzner@phys.ethz.ch
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Abstract

The measurement of quantum efficiency with bias voltage is a powerful tool to characterize CdTe/CdS solar cell. As the quantum efficiency changes drastically with bias it will be referred to as Apparent Quantum Efficiency AQE. The AQE gives insight to the spectral contents of the cell current and therefore resolves the spatial carrier collection in the cell at each working point. So it is possible to understand the influence of the junctions and changing resistances in the cell. The photoconductivity of CdS facilitates AQE well above unity, i.e. up to 100, at high forward bias. The spectral sensitivity of the CdS photoconductivity affects the cell current strongly. This can explain the dependence of fill factor and roll-over of the I-V characteristics on the spectral content of illumination. Further more back contact junction influence and defect related features, such as sub band gap generation, are evident in the AQE for high forward bias.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 668: Symposium H – II-IV Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaic Materials , 2001 , H5.17
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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